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Psalm 85 · a question people ask

If God had forgiven them, why ask him to stop being angry?

In the text

The psalm doesn't say; it sets the two side by side. First, what the LORD has done: "You have forgiven the iniquity of your people" (85:2), "You have taken away all your wrath. You have turned from the fierceness of your anger" (85:3). Then, with no word of explanation between, "Turn us, God of our salvation, and cause your indignation toward us to cease" (85:4), and "Will you be angry with us forever? Will you draw out your anger to all generations?" (85:5). The psalm names no event and gives no time for either, and these notes don't supply one. What it does do is ask God to do again what it says he has done. He "turned" from his anger (85:3), and it prays "Turn us" (85:4) and "Won’t you revive us again" (85:6), in Hebrew the same verb each time.

The verses

“You have forgiven the iniquity of your people. You have covered all their sin. Selah. You have taken away all your wrath. You have turned from the fierceness of your anger. Turn us, God of our salvation, and cause your indignation toward us to cease. Will you be angry with us forever? Will you draw out your anger to all generations? Won’t you revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?”
Psalm 85:2-6 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 85

Psalm 85: Righteousness and peace have kissed

One Hebrew verb, shuv, runs through Psalm 85 five times: the LORD has turned from his anger (85:3), the people pray "Turn us" (85:4) and "revive us again" (85:6), and the last time it is the people who are not to "turn again to folly" (85:8).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions